New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-02
THE LANSDOWNE EHICIIONS.
WILLIAM oBRIEN ON THEIR INJUSTICE.
REVENGE THE PRINCIPAL MOTIVE FOR TURNING
OUT THE MORE PROSPEROUS TENANTS
CRITICIsING LORD LANsDOwNE's


CRITICIsING LORD LANsDOwNE'S
EXPLANATION
fBY CABLE TRIBUNE
Copyright; 1887; North american Gable Ee,es Co.
LONDON April LIN answer to a set OF queries
which sent to-day to William O'Brien, Editor of
United Ireland" have received the following:
You have seen the cable account of Lord Lans-
downe's apology for the Luegacurran evictonsi"
ayes, it is grossly disiugenuous and misleading.
He strives to imply that his rents do not exceed
the Government valuation. This is absolutely I'M
true of the two tenants evicted The rent of Dunno
is 80 per cent above the Government valuation and
that of Kilbrlde actually So per cent. Lord Lans-
downe slurs over the fact that TO tenants holding
under judicial rents he refused any abatement
whatsoever. The tenants interest in one of the
farms held under judicial lease was put up for sale
last June owing to the excessive rent. No pur-
chaser could be found aud the farm was surrendered
as valueless Notwithstanding this fact, and the
report of the Cowper Commission that prices have
fallen 1872 per cent since the judicial rents were
fixed Lord Lansdowne offered no abatement to the
roor judicial holders. but attempted to isolate them
by bribng the large holders with special abate-
ments. 1t WAS because they rejected these brides
and made common cause with their poorer brethren
that they were the first singled out for eviction
"The two tenants who were evcted are not really
rlcn men, lUey ONCe WcTc DuJ tlIlOSt All tubII
capital is gone in paying ruinous rents during
years of loss Mr.. Dunno is $4,000 poorer man
to-day than he was in 1879. owing to his punctual
payment of rack rents. The only two well-to-do
tenants were cunningly picked out for eviction in
the belief that English syn pathy would not be ex
tended to men evicted from handsome residences as
1t would to zen evcted from novels; but, on the
contrary, the wrong is the more cruel because the
more comfortable tho residences Dunno and Xii
bride Quilted, the fearful must be the presence
of rack rents that compelled them and their brother
tenants to run such risks. But for the stand made
by these two large holders the poorer tenants could
ha 0 been crushed and evicted without trouble"
"Is it true that the tenants owe three half years
rentr
"It is totally false. They were the best paying
tenantry in the country, SO long as they were able
They only owe one half years rent. The law re-
qures that full years rent should be due before
eviction. In order to evict, Lord LansdOwne had
to add to the one half-years rent really due
mythical debt called a hanging gale which is
haf-years rent running on for several generations,
but never enforced except as lever for eviction"
"Why have the evictions been suspended"
al suspect because Canadian opinion was begin
ming to mako Lord Lansdowno uncomfortable.
They will unquestionably be resumed if he finds
Canada apathetic TO his conduct. Only for the
urgency of the struggle here at home would he on
my way to Canada at this moment. bavo received
pressing invitations from Ottawa. Toronto and
Montreal. shall certainly go if Lord Lansdowne
carries out his threat of extermnatng the remain
der OF the tcnantry. As it is his eviction OF DunDe
and Kilbrde has been accompanied by the eviction
of all their poor laborers. twenty-five in number.
and the suffering to these men who are thrown idle,
and to their poor families is hcartrendinC."
I" What do you think OF the Coercion bill I"
IL think we have reason to thank Mr.. Balfonr for
his brutal frankness. There is no afiectaton about
his proposal He has stated the logical alternative
to Gladstone's Home Rule policy in such n
way that the British people can longer
have any doubt that if they not
prepared to give the Irish people all they ask
they must be prepared to rule them forever
and ever as the Car rules Poland. ! cannot
believe that the British democracy will tolerate
the passing Of tins bill into law. II 1t
does pass, however, though it will bring
spell of wofd trouble to Ireland. it will only end
by breaking English rule and landlord power all
the sooner"
What is your opinion of the Tory Land bill |"
81 think it is a sham BILL not meant TO pass-a
mere balance to coercion until they their Coercion
bill through. All that good in 1t is purloined
from Mr. Parnell's bill Of last year, without the
StatcSmaDlikc prONlSlODS WHICH lnauc MI
a workable measure The effect of this bill pass
ing would be TO throw the country into con-
fusion and to stop the payment of all
rent for an indefinite period. To be entitled to such
relief as il proposes. tenant mist first become
bankrupt consequently every tenant who requires
relief-in other words. every tenant whose rent
is TOO highland that on the testimony of
Lord COwper's commission means practically
the whole of the tenantry Of lreland-will suspend
the payment of his rent in order to be qualified TO
enter the Improvsed bankruptcy courts. There
are about 100000 tenants at least who Will
thus apply to twenty-five county court
Judges to have their cases considered. Besides
these there are 100000 lease-hoders whom the
bill proposes to admit to the benefits of the land act
of 1881. 1t would take years for the County Court
Judges and the Land Commissioners to get through
this much work, and in the meantime the landlords
would be utterly beggared." L. L. GILL, NJ. L.
THE STALLED CANADIAN TRAINS.
ST. JOHN, n. b. April IA dispatch from Moncton to-
day contains news OF the stalled trains on the
Northern division OF the IntercolOnia Rail
way. break has been made from St.
Flavien 10 Campbellton and two blocked trains
hos through